


Broken Bones, Broken Spirit

by TheOwlPost



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Albus Dumbledore Bashing, F/F, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Ron Weasley Bashing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:20:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22176184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOwlPost/pseuds/TheOwlPost
Summary: There comes a time in our life when we have to ask ourselves one essential question: is life worth living? Harry is at the end of his rope, faced with hatred on all sides as society strives to ignore Voldemort's return. As even his closest friends abandon him, Harry struggles to find solace and family, eventually discovering it in the most unexpected of places. However, when Voldemort finds out about his past and those dear to him now, what lengths will he go to defeat the savior of the Wizarding World?
Relationships: Daphne Greengrass/Luna Lovegood, Harry Potter/Blaise Zabini
Comments: 4
Kudos: 72





	Broken Bones, Broken Spirit

There comes a time in our life when we have to ask ourselves one essential question: is life worth living? The wind whipped around Harry as he balanced on the ledge of the astronomy tower. It was too much -- the anger, the judgement, the assumptions. And for what? To risk his life again and again defending people who can’t stand his existence. Pain from all sides, a lose lose situation. His friends didn’t even care -- they were only using him for fame. He had known this about Ron, at least a little bit, from his jealousy, but it still came as a shock to overhear them talking behind his back about the rumours. 

Harry fought to keep the tears from falling, but a few snuck out only to freeze seconds after in the harsh wind of the roof. Loosening his grip on the wall, Harry stepped forward to peer over the edge. It was so dark, the blanket of night hiding the ground below. He couldn’t do this anymore -- if this was his only method of escape than so be it. Anything to sleep, anything to get a break, anything to escape from the stupid cycle of fear and adoration that society forced him into. 

As Harry inched closer to the edge he accidently knocked a few loose stones over the side. The sound of them clattering down the wall snapped him out of whatever trance he had lost himself in and he jerked back. In his rush to back away from the wall, Harry tripped over his own feet and fell from the ledge, landing on his shoulder in the astronomy room. The tears he had been fighting so hard to hold back fell now in abundance, soaking his face and the ground below him. Was he really so useless? He couldn’t even die right! 

Slowly, Harry picked himself up off the ground and, careful of his injured shoulder, limped back to the dorms. Only a week into the school year and he was already at this low. Maybe tomorrow. 

__________________________________________________________________________

“Potter! Hey, Potter!” 

Harry groaned. He did not need to deal with Malfoy this morning. 

“What do you want Malfoy?” Harry asked without turning around, “if you’re just going to insult me do us both a favor and just leave.” 

“What’s that Potter? Can’t take the heat? Guess you aren’t the hero the Wizarding World thought you were” Malfoy sneered. “What would your mother thi--” 

“DON’T TALK ABOUT MY MOTHER” Harry spun around with blazing eyes, wand out and ready. Malfoy stopped in his tracks, surprised. Potter may have been hot headed, but there was a desperation to his words and a sadness in his eyes that Malfoy had not expected. When Malfoy did not respond, shocked into stillness as he was, Harry turned on his heel and stalked away down the hall. 

Perhaps it was a figment of his imagination, but when Harry whirled around, just for a split second, Draco thought that he had seen bruises on his arms. 

Around the corner Harry stopped, breathing hard as he sunk down against the wall. He hadn’t meant to react at all, let alone so violently. It’s just… he was so on edge. With the hate and pain he received from his family over summer, Hogwarts had always been his safe place to recover and be himself. Now though, the entire wizarding world was out for his blood, dragging his name through the mud and trying to shame him for speaking out about Voldemort’s return. And then there were those who didn’t hate him for that, but instead thought that he was trying to take the Dark Lord mantle for himself and believed wholeheartedly in his evilness. Even away from his family he couldn’t escape the hatred. Maybe he really was a freak, they were certainly right about the unlovable part.

Breathing deep, Harry took a moment to restore his glamours over his injuries. No one needed to know that he was a weakling on top of everything else -- that he regularly got used as a freaking punching bag at home and that he couldn’t even stand up to regular muggles. God, if he couldn’t even defend himself against his relatives how was he supposed to defeat Voldemort? He slammed his fist into the stone floor below him, automatically regretting his decision as pain shot up his already mangled hand. It had been a going away present from his uncle -- a reminder to keep his mouth shut at school. At least two fingers were broken and he had felt several bones splinter. He should really go to Madam Pomfery, but he wanted to avoid the hospital wing for at least the first two weeks so he could get started in all his classes, lest she never let him leave.

As Harry slumped there against the wall, he was unaware of the curious eyes watching from the shadows. 

_Who are you really, Harry Potter?_


End file.
